stockton, CA – Four people, including two children aged eight and nine, were killed in a shooting at a birthday party in Stockton, California on Saturday evening, authorities confirmed. the shooting, believed to be gang-related, occurred in the 400 block of East Street and left several others injured.
Investigators are processing the scene and believe multiple shooters were involved in the attack. “We’re confident that this was not a random act,” stated a law enforcement official. “They walked into this area probably looking for someone in particular. This was not somebody who was unacquainted with them.”
Stockton’s mayor, Christina Fugazi, urged anyone with information about the crime to contact Crime Stoppers during a press conference Sunday. “They should be writing their Christmas lists right now,” she added, referring to the children who were killed. “Their parents should be out shopping for them for Christmas. And to think that their lives are over. I can’t even begin to imagine what these families are going through. Breaks my heart.” Fugazi also branded the attack an “act of terrorism.”
Police reported making a number of arrests Saturday evening, approximately seven miles south of the shooting location. five individuals, aged between 16, were taken into custody on weapons and gang charges, though it remains unclear if they are connected to the shooting.
A prayer vigil for the victims’ families was held Sunday evening, attended by around 150 people. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office said on X that he had been briefed on the shooting and that the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services was monitoring the situation and working with law enforcement.
